To the very blessed and faithful D.N.,his above all other highly Lords and Teachers.
Heil in Christ! I am ashamed,worthy Lord,that I should trouble you further when you are overwhelmed and buzy with an abundance of projects by burdening and appealing to you with my writing but yet responsibility toward God and the neighbor forces me whether I want to or not and very much spurs me on so much that I must come to others for strength and help. However, because I know that I do not have enough expertise on this case I am very desirous of your counsel although I am not worthy above other blessed ones. However, so that you, worthy teacher, may accurately know the case I want to briefly write about it entirely. There is by us a young girl about sixteen years of age possessed by the devil in such a manner as I have never known an example of nor read nor heard of. At a certain hour she becomes siezed by a rage of Satam in such a way that pennies, Groschen, and other German coins she scrambles for sometimes from a garment,or from the beards of those standing by, or from a table;in short, from any place she scrambles for it and if someone does not suddenly sieze her hand she sticks whatever sort of the grasped money in the mouth and clenches (zerkaut?) that brought in with her teeth and shows the same on the front part of her tongue which she is accustomed to stick out. At night she makes a great noise as she shakes a great amount (Schatz) in her hands, which she also attempts to devour so that the danger of suffocation is feared; one believes they are Joachimthaler coins. However, what she sees, everything she talks about is either money or a mouse (mus[sic]),and often she lets the treasure strike a sound as though it were great riches. A certain mass-father wanted to cure her. He was summoned here highly recommended from a little town nearby but he brought with him nothing other than consecrated herbs,waters and roots (radishes?)and if I am not mistaken,for six days swore vehemently and finally with threats; then he finally was disillusioned in his hope and went away. Meanwhile, in my responsibility, I admonished the people in every sermon that I would not let up or cease to plead with God so long as I can pray
as I conscientously have done previously.Howeever, she persists in the grasping of little coins, yes, she wishes to destroy herself with a rope,knife or water if her guards do not carefully protect her; so despairing Satan makes her with his fright.Therefore I go to you for counsel on how to deal with this rare and dangerous
matter and plead for the sake of the love of Christ to provide us with help in this case. You know the art and weapons of this opponent and you also know how he finally at last can be driven out. If you cannot because of many projects do so ,order it for someone else to do. And if there is someone who can free her by his prayers, the citizens who have love for blessedness and therefore, would have concern that the same would be brought here at their expense. If this should happen then the Almighty God, first of all, and all who hold to the Christian religion would be done a very acceptable service. Be it right well with you and think on the young girl possessed by the devil. In Frankfurt on the Oder,Andr.Ebert,Ecclesiastic in Frankfurt.
NOTE: The N.in the salutation stands for ML as the following letter shows.
"Coins in the beards"? Am I missing something. I'll try to post a picture of the great Joachimthaler.
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